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The WSN 8-Player Football Awards were launched in 2016 to recognize the outstanding players participating in reduced player football. Awards presented will be Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. All players are eligible regardless of grade level.

Each year, a preseason Watch List will be produced, then narrowed down to five finalists after the regular season. Winners will be announced the week after the 8-Player Championship.

These awards are not associated with any conference nor the WFCA awards, and are presented independently by WisSports.net.

Cooper Diedrich, Athens - Diedrich does a little bit of everything, and does it very well for the Bluejays. Playing as the team's quarterback, he threw for 596 yards and seven touchdowns, but the real explosive part of his game was on the ground. He carried the ball 86 times for 1,687 yards with 31 touchdowns plus 15, two-point conversions, averaging 187.4 yards per game and an astounding 19.6 yards per attempt. He also scored three touchdowns on defense, one on a punt return, and one on a kick return.

Danny Griffith, Saint Mary Catholic/Valley Christian - Griffith took a big step forward this year, nearly doubling his passer rating from 75.0 as a sophomore to 147.3 in this, his junior season. In 2021 he has completed 75.2% of his passes for 1,887 yards with 31 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He added 270 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Wyatt Jensen, Luck - The team's quarterback in a modified single wing offense, Jensen threw for 329 yards with seven touchdowns this season, but did much more damage on the ground. The senior leads 8-Player football with 2,191 yards and 38 touchdowns, averaging 11.8 yards per carry and 219.1 yards per game.

Conner Krach, Newman Catholic - Krach's progression has been a big reason that the Cardinals are into the 8-Player state semi-finals once again. He has completed 72.2% of his passes to this point for 2,014 yards with 34 touchdowns and just three interceptions, good for a 145.6 passer rating. He also has 458 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

Sam Negus, Shell Lake - Like several players on this list, Negus plays at quarterback for the Lakers but does most of his damage on the ground. He's thrown for 406 yards with five touchdowns, rushing for 1,570 yards and 31 touchdowns on 158 carries. He's averaged 9.9 yards per carry and 174.4 yards per game.

Connor Taylor, Wabeno/Laona - The senior quarterback has thrown for 1,622 yards with 28 touchdowns as the Rebels are unbeaten and into the state semi-finals. A very versatile player who also plays a big role on defense and special teams, he has rushed for 945 yards and 15 touchdowns on 131 carries.

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.